Poinsettia plant named ‘Duespotapri’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Duespotapri’, characterized by its inflorescences with pink-colored flower bracts with random darker pink flecking; dark green-colored leaves with green-colored petioles; uniform and rounded plant habit; early flowering; and excellent post-production longevity.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Duespotapri.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duespotapri’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with uniform plant habitand attractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia originated from a cross made by the Inventor of aproprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as codenumber WH-6-00, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with aproprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as codenumber 94-513-8, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. Thecultivar Duespotapri was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlledenvironment in Rheinberg, Germany. The selection of this plant was basedon its attractive flower bract coloration and uniform plant habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminalcuttings taken at Rheinberg, Germany, has shown that the unique featuresof this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duespotapri’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Duespotapri’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Inflorescences with pink-colored flower bracts with darker pinkrandom flecking.

2. Dark green-colored leaves with green-colored petioles.

3. Uniform and rounded plant habit.

4. Early flowering; response time, about seven to eight weeks.

5. Excellent post-production longevity.

Compared to plants of the female parent, with selection WH-6-00, plantsof the new Poinsettia have darker green foliage. In addition, plants ofthe new Poinsettia and the female parent differ in flower bractcoloration as plants of the female parent have white-colored flowerbracts.

Compared to plants of the male parent, the selection 94-513-8, plants ofthe new Poinsettia have lighter green foliage. In addition, plants ofthe new Poinsettia and the male parent differ in flower bract colorationas plants of the male parent have red-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivarFiscor Candy, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,593. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the newPoinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Fiscor Candyin the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were taller than plants of the cultivarFiscor Candy.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had shorter and darker green leaves thanplants of the cultivar Fiscor Candy.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered up to one week earlier thanplants of the cultivar Fiscor Candy.

4. Plants of the new Poinsettia had larger inflorescences with largerflower bracts than plants of the cultivar Fiscor Candy.

5. Flower bract coloration of plants of the new Poinsettia was moreintense than flower bract coloration of plants of the cultivar FiscorCandy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view ofa single flowering plant of ‘Duespotapri’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and averagedmeasurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during thewinter under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with dayand night temperatures about 22° C. and light levels about 4,500foot-candles. Single plants were grown in 14-cm pots and pinched once.Plants were flowered under natural season short day/long nightconditions. Plants were about 16 weeks from unrooted cuttings when thephotographs and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivarDuespotapri.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.identified as code number WH-60-00, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.identified as code number 94-513-8, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots. Summer: About 9 days at 22° C. Winter: About 13days at 22° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 21 days at 22° C. Winter: About 28days at 22° C.

Root description.—Thick, fibrous and freely-branching.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded.

Growth habit.—Upright and uniform plant habit.

Plant height.—About 24.5 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 49 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About five to sevenlateral branches develop after pinching. Length: About 16.5 cm.Diameter: Less than 1 cm. Internode length: About 1.7 cm. Color: 137B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leavesper lateral branch: About nine. Length: About 9.5 cm. Width: About 7 cm.Shape: Mostly ovate with irregular lobing. Apex: Acuminate to apiculate.Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire with irregular lobing. Venation pattern:Pinnate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Surface: Mostlyflat. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 137A. Young foliage, lowersurface: 137D. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 131A. Fullyexpanded foliage, lower surface: 137B. Venation, upper surface: 138C.Venation, lower surface: 138D. Petiole: Length: About 6.5 cm. Diameter:About 2 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144C.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs ofcyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.Inflorescences are not fragrant. Inflorescences persistent.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Nothern Hemisphere. Flowerinitiation and development is induced under long nyctoperiod conditions.Response time, about seven to eight weeks.

Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia maintain goodsubstance and bract color for about six to eight weeks under interiorconditions and about twelve weeks under greenhouse conditions.

Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—One per lateral branch, about fiveto seven.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 25 cm. Height (depth): About 3 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: About 13.Length, largest bracts: About 10.5 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 6.5cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with irregular lobing. Apex: Acuminate toapiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire with irregular lobing. Texture,upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, velvety. Surface: Rugose.Orientation: Mostly horizontal. Color: Developing bracts, upper surface:37B with random flecking, 39A. Developing bracts, lower surface: 37B.Fully developed bracts, upper surface: 37A with random flecking, 39A;ground color fading to 37C with subsequent development. Fully developedbracts, lower surface: 37B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: Same aslamina. Bract petiole: Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.Texture: Glabrous. Color: 144C.

Cyathia.—Quantity of cyathia per corymb: About twelve. Diameter ofcyathia cluster: About 3 cm. Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm.Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature and mature: 143C. Peduncle: Length: About4 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Strength/aspect: Strong, curved. Color:144C. Stamens: Quantity of stamens per cyathium: About ten. Anthershape: Oval. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 6A. Amount ofpollen: Abundant. Pollen color: 14A. Pistils: Quantity of pistils percyathium: One. Pistil length: About 1.2 cm. Style length: About 2 mm.Style color: 144C. Stigma color: 46A. Nectaries: Quantity of nectariesper cyathium: One or two. Color: 14B.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toPoinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercialconditions.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named‘Duespotapri’, as illustrated and described.